Month: March 2009

It’s Spring! I have sprouts. Our trees have buds. And the temperatures finally went back to something resembling the season of growth. Do you know what else this is a the season for? Wildfires in Ohio. I’m serious. Do you know what causes the more than 1,000 wildfires in Ohio each year? Careless, open burning. (And arson, of course. But that’s a topic of another post.) To boot, did you know that there is a ban on open burning right now? That’s right.

Open-burning is particularly dangerous in the spring and fall, when the leaves are on the ground, the grass is not green and the weather is warm, dry and windy. As a result, open burning in Ohio is prohibited in unincorporated areas in March, April, May, October, and November, 6 am to 6 pm.

||Ad||

A few weeks ago, my husband’s department had a large number of brush fires on their hands. In the month of March while the burn ban was in place during prohibited hours. Why? Sadly, not many people know about the ban or understand what and where burning is still allowed. That’s why sites like Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources are so awesome. It spells out in pretty easy to understand language that you simply cannot burn much of anything between the hours of 6pm and 6am during these months. If you are needing to burn the land for reasons like vegetation regeneration, you actually need to have it approved first. If you don’t, a wildfire that could not only endanger your property but people’s lives.

A brief look at other states shows me that we’re not alone in this one. As an example, West Virginia only lets you burn between the hours of 4pm and 7am. That begs the question: does your state have a burn ban in place? Some states are like Ohio and have specific months every year with limitations on burning. Other states watch things like air quality and weather and issue burn bans for specific counties as the need arises. Do you know how your state mandates burn bans? You can do a quick google search by entering “burn ban” and your state’s name to find out pertinent information. Of course, there’s an even easier way to go about it: simply call your local fire department. Whether they are a paid or a volunteer department, they will be able to give you the information that you need that will keep you, your neighbors and, in the end, those same firefighters safest with regard to this topic.

Please be safe. While it’s been rather chilly here, it’s also been relatively dry. Do your part and clean up the leaves and other debris. Keep your burning set to appropriate hours and on days without wind. And pass on the word to others about the burn ban or information that is pertinent to your state. We can all do our part to keep wildfires at a minimum this year.

I’m grumpy today. Spring is supposed to be arriving. But it is currently 25 degrees (Farenheit!) outside. I know that March has temperamental weather but this seems ridiculous. I should shut my mouth before ten inches of snow fall on my lily sprouts.

We did get outside two days this week. You know, when it was seventy-five instead of twenty-five. I’m a better parent when we are able to get outside with regularity. The fresh air helps recharge my patience. The fresh air helps them use their energy appropriately. The sunshine not only gives us some necessary Vitamin D but makes us smile. There’s no smiling right now. Gray clouds are reminding us that we’re stuck inside today. Grumpypants on instead of Happyshorts.

||Ad||

The boys, of course, don’t understand. Two days ago, they were outside for two hours at a time. So why not today? LittleBrother stood at the back door and cried, “Siiiiiiiiiiiiiide,” for quite some time. BigBrother has asked no less than fifteen times if we can go outside after lunch. Apparently the answer of “no” is not acceptable. “It’s not raining,” he says. “It can’t be that cold, Mommy.” Sadly, it can be.

Soon, of course, I’ll be ranting about the over-bearing heat of mid-summer. (I actually hate heat. Also, hate and heat have the same letters. This is no coincidence.) I prefer spring and fall. I guess I can’t have it all. But, soon enough, we’ll be able to spend more time outside. Perhaps when the wind is blowing the general stink off of us, BigBrother will be able to avoid some germs. He’s gotten every bug from preschool this winter and if he gets one more ear infection, well, I don’t want to talk about it.

How’s Spring coming along your way? Please share pictures of sunshine with us today. We’re in need a of a pick-me-up.

I just wanted a picture of the two of them in their matching green shirts. I bought the shirts specifically for today, St. Patrick’s Day. To boot, BigBrother had his first ever experience with school pictures at preschool today (we’ll see how those turn out soon). And so, after school, I just wanted a picture of these two, together, in their matching shirts.

You can imagine how that went. Let’s see some highlights.

Here, BigBrother shows LittleBrother his “bebo” for some unknown reason.

And then BigBrother tried to hold LittleBrother still. That went over poorly.

The rest of the series is a blurry mess of whining, crying, snot and general lack of participation. I won’t bore you with the lot of them. I did manage to get one nice one of BigBrother as he likes to say cheese right now.

||Ad||

At least he seems happy, right?

But getting a good picture of LittleBrother, even by himself, is impossible at this stage in his life. He’s a constant blur of motion. Even with my fancy camera, I can’t catch him. He’s on the go, faster than I can manage. Someday I’ll have nice pictures of him as well. Probably just around the time that BigBrother decides that smiling for the camera is beneath him.

I want nice pictures of the two of them but it seems somewhat impossible. I’m going to have to start photoshopping pictures of them together. You know, if I can catch up with LittleBrother. I am somewhat jealous of parents who have pictures of their children all smiling nicely and looking in the same direction. I can’t seem to master it. Ever since LittleBrother has become upwardly mobile, I can’t do it. Someday maybe?

I did catch a nice candid moment of the two of them together. Even if LittleBrother is somewhat blurry.

What you can’t see, or rather, hear, is LittleBrother whining. Apparently he didn’t want to be kissed.

Also? I am fully aware that my friends with three and more children have a harder battle to fight. I salute you parents of children more than two that somehow end up with three or more smiling faces on the front of your Christmas cards. I aspire to be like you someday.

Disclaimers

Links may be affiliate links. All words are my own thoughts and/or experiences. This is a personal blog. Views expressed here are my own and do not represent any/all of my employers. Or my children. Or my husband.